The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Rothberg International School
Division of Undergraduate Studies
Autumn Semester 2009-10
48047: In the Community I: Israel Case Studies – Academic Internship
Yuval Tsur, Ph.D.
Office hours: Sundays 14:00-14:30 By appointment
The goal of the course is to experience working in an Israeli organization, and to provide a deeper understanding of the students’ work experiences, through an academic analysis based on the Social Sciences.
An internship is an excellent way to explore career opportunities and adjust personal aspirations to the reality of the work market. The course will help students understand the mechanism of the workplace and the meaning of being an "employee". This will be done by analyzing students' internship experiences according to Social Science models and theories of work organizations and employees. A special focus will be given to the Israeli culture and environment.
Both the internship and the academic course will better facilitate the need to improve the students' understanding of the work market as well as entering the workforce, whether in Israel or abroad.
Course Requirements:
1. Internship: Students will work in an organization for a minimum of 8 hours a week (not including transportation). In addition, they will hand in time-sheets and a one page summary of their experience to the Internship Coordinator.
2. Attendance and active participation in class, discussing personal experiences form internship, according to class materials. Students who miss more than two classes will be dropped from the course and the internship.
3. Students will be required to read the course materials.
4. Students will be required to submit a 2-3 page midterm paper, and a 7-10 page final paper. Papers will contain analysis of the internship organization according to course materials. Specific instructions will be given in the class.
Final Grade:
Syllabus
* The course reader is on High-Learn. More information will be given to you in the first class.
Lesson 1-2: First steps at internship, first steps at work
In the first lessons we will discuss your expectations from the internship program and present the academic course and its requirements. We will address the situation of a new worker in an organization, from the employee to the organization's point of view.
Assignment 1:
In your internship organization, find a paper(s) that presents its goals, mission, vision and values. These papers should be brought to lesson 3.
Lesson 3-4: Organizations and organizational culture
Organizations are social structures with shared characteristics. These lessons will focus on goals, vision and values of organizations. This includes the concept of organizational culture and its influence on everyday life in organizations. A methodology of research to reveal hidden layers of organizational culture will be presented. Finally, we will discuss the organizational culture of your internship organization.
Readings:
Schein, E. H. (1990). Organizational Culture. American Psychologist, 109-119.
E-journal
Quinn, R. E. & Cameron, K. (1983). Organizational life cycles and shifting criteria of effectiveness: Some preliminary evidence. Management Science, 29, 33-51
E-journal
Further Readings (suggested):
Quinn, R. E. & Cameron, K. (1983). A spatial model of effectiveness criteria: Towards a competing values approach to organizational analysis. Management Science, 29, 363-377. E-journal
Greenberg, J. & Baron, A. R. (2008) Behavior in organizations (ninth edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Chapter 15: Organizational structure and design, 582-631 ERESERVE 001464397
Midterm Assignment:
Write a 2-3 page paper describing the organizational culture of your internship organization.
In your paper, you should address the following:
· Describe the goals, mission and vision of the organization.
· Analyze organizational core values.
· Try to reveal hidden values in the organization and discuss the matching of organizational values to organizational missions.
· Discuss the differences between declared organizational culture and the actual culture you find in the organization.
Papers should be submitted in lesson 6.
Lesson 5-6: Motivation and job satisfaction, Personal-Organizational Fit
Although each one of us is unique, research shows there are common factors that affect our job satisfaction and motivation in our work place. Different people are suitable for different organizations. The Personal-Organizational Fit (POF) model is meant to analyze and to predict job satisfaction and attrition. Using the POF we will try to analyze the level of fit between your aspirations and your internship organization.
Readings:
Rainey, G. R. (2001). Work motivation. In R. T. Golembiewsky (Ed.), Handbook of organizational behavior. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker Inc. Chapter 3, 19-42 ERESERVE 001464366
Kristof, A. (1996). Person-organization fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Personnel Psychology, 49, 1-19. E-journal
Further Readings (suggested):
Schneider, B., Goldstein, W. H. & Smith, B. D. (1995). The ASA framework: An update. Personnel Psychology, 48, 747-769. E-journal
Lesson 7-8: Hierarchy in organizations - Management and leadership
Organizations' structure is usually a hierarchical structure: You are subordinate to a "Boss", who is also subordinate to a "Boss", and so on… We will discuss organizations' hierarchy and its influence on everyday life in organizations. In addition, the similarities and differences between a manager and a leader will be presented. Finally, we will discuss the hierarchy, management and leadership in your internship organization.
Readings:
Adizes, Ichak (1988) Corporate lifecycles: how and why corporations grow and die and what to do about it. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall - Chapter 5. ERESERVE 001480786
Bass, B. M. & Avolio, B.J.,(1993) Transformational leadership and organizational culture. Public Administration Quarterly, 17, 112-121. E-journal
Lesson 9: National Security and Militarism in Israeli society and in the workplace
Since it was established, Israel faces an existence threat, thus, national security is a top priority. Service in the army is obligatory for every citizen, and is considered as the basis for a "good citizenship". Some sociologists refer to the Israeli society as a "civil-militarist society". We will present the militarist traits of the Israeli society and discuss its affects on the work market. We will discuss how national security considerations and militarist views are expressed in your internship organization.
Readings:
Lebel, U. (2007) Civil Society versus Military Sovereignty: Cultural, Political, and Operational Aspects. Armed Forces & Society, 34, 67-89 E-journal
Further Readings (suggested):
Kimmerling, B. (1993). Patterns of militarism in Israel. European Journal of Sociology, 34, 196-223. ERESERVE 001217023
Lissak, M. (1999). Epilogue: Uniqueness and normalization in military-government relations in Israel. In D. Maman, E. Ben-Ari & Z. Rosnhek (Eds.), Military, state, and society in Israel. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Last chapter, 395-422. ERESERVE 001464395
Lesson 10: Gender, race and social class in both Israeli society and the workplace
Social factors, especially gender, race and class, affect most societies. This includes the possibility of being accepted to a work organization, determines one's success and being promoted to managerial positions. In the first half of this lesson we will present theories that explore this mechanism and will try to reveal hidden discrimination in organizations. The second half of this lesson will be dedicated to a personal summary of the internship experience, and a feedback on the academic course.
Readings:
Wilson, Fiona M. (2003) Organizational behaviour and gender. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company. Chapter 1: Men and women's place at work and home, 12-42. ERESERVE 001464391
Further Readings (suggested):
Sasson Levi, O. (2002). Constructing identities at the margins: Masculinities and citizenship in the Israeli army. The Sociological Quarterly,43, 357-383. E-journal
Kanter, R. M. (1993). Men and women of the corporation (1993 Edition). New York: Basic Books. 301.18 K16
Izraeli, D. N. (1997). Gendering military service in the Israel Defense Forces. Israel Social Science Research, 12,129-166. ERESERVE 001219192
Ben-Ari, E., & Darbashti, G. (1999). Tests of soldierhood, trials of manhood: Military and militarism in Israel. In D. Maman, E. Ben-Ari & Z. Rosnhek (Eds.), Military, state, and society in Israel. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Chapter 7, 239-268. ERESERVE 001229617
Gherardi, S. (1994). The gender we think, the gender we do in our everyday organizational lives, Human Relations, 47, 591-612. E-journal
Lesson 11: Summary and feedback
This lesson will be dedicated to a personal summary of the internship experience, and a feedback on the academic course.
Final Assignment:
Write a 7-10 pages paper analyzing your internship organization. Your should describe your experience in the internship organization and analyze it according to the course materials, models and theories. You should refer to the following subjects:
1) Organizational culture.
2) Hierarchy, management and leadership.
3) Militarism (optional)
4) Gender and race.
5) Summary: Your personal impression - What elements do you like and appreciate in the organization? What elements would you like to be changed? Would you like to continue to work for this organization? Explain why.
Papers should be submitted to the office until Thursday of final exam week.